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Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) runs for a first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. The Raiders won, 19-9. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group)

OAKLAND — It’s a tossup as to whether Terrelle Pryor or Philip Rivers has improved the most since they met Dec. 30 of last season.

Pryor, in his first NFL start, displayed enough leadership ability to go with raw athletic skill to merit a closer look in the offseason and training camp. Playing in a steady rain, he threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in a 24-21 loss to the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

Rivers was 13 of 17 for 151 yards and two touchdowns as the Chargers finished a disappointing 7-9 season on an up note.

Pryor is a different quarterback from the one who was 13 of 28 for 150 yards in his debut. The big surprise is that at age 31, so is Rivers, who is playing the best football of his life after throwing 35 interceptions in the past two seasons.

The two quarterbacks take the late-night center stage when the Raiders (1-3) host the Chargers (2-2) Sunday at 8:35 p.m.

The Raiders get Pryor back after he missed a 24-14 loss to Washington while recovering from a concussion. He will do so with no restrictions.

“If you start trying to limit the things that he does, I think you decrease his effectiveness,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. “You have to let him be the quarterback that he is and let him make plays.”

That means Pryor is free to run either on designed plays or creative scrambles, while at the same time exhibiting a modicum of common sense.

“Obviously if there’s three guys coming down on me I don’t want to challenge all three guys, so get own,” Pryor said. “Just be myself and play football. That’s how I have to play.”

While Pryor’s ability to run sets him apart, the Raiders first got a glimpse of his ability to bring a spark to the offense in the San Diego game last season. Pryor got the Raiders in and out of the huddle and at one point yanked teammate Mike Goodson out of a scuffle to avoid a penalty.

“You find out those things when you put them on the field and let them play,” Allen said. “I think he brings a level of excitement and a level of confidence to our team.”

In terms of passing fundamentals, offensive coordinator Greg Olson sent Pryor a text early in the week telling him how far he’d come after viewing last season’s game against the Chargers.

“I just feel like he’s a lot calmer in the pocket,” Olson said. “His footwork is much better, he has better instincts. He just looked like a rookie player in there last year.”

Allen is curious to see San Diego’s scheme for defending Pryor and keeping him in the pocket if possible.

“It’s always interesting to see how people decide to defend him,” Allen said. “We may see things they don’t do with other teams.”

Through four games, Rivers has completed 73.9 percent of his passes (105 for 142) for 1,199 yards, 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions playing in an offense that is a combination of what coach Mike McCoy ran in Denver with Peyton Manning and what offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt used in Arizona.

The result has been fewer gambles and more safe rhythm throws than the Raiders are accustomed to seeing from Rivers — which comes as bad news considering they don’t have an interception through four games.

“We’re still getting some chunk plays, but there is some more high-percentage mixed in there, just taking what the defense gives us,” Rivers told Bay Area reporters by conference call. “I think the biggest thing is to throw completions and get first downs.”

Allen said Rivers is also operating more often in a no-huddle offense and identifying the play at the line of scrimmage, similar to the Broncos’ Manning.

“It looks like he’s doing a lot more audibles, checking at the line of scrimmage, and trying to get themselves in the best play available,” Allen said. “It will be key for us to handle the tempo, handle the pace, communicate and make sure we’re in the right spots.”

Linebacker Kevin Burnett, a teammate of Rivers’ in San Diego, said the Raiders need to make Rivers uncomfortable in the pocket.

“You have to get around him, make him move his feet and force errant throws,” Burnett said. “You have to force him into making errors. He doesn’t make too many unforced errors.”

With offensive tackles Tony Pashos and Menelik Watson both questionable to face the Chargers because of injuries, the Raiders promoted Jack Cornell from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. To make room for Cornell, the Raiders waived guard Antoine McClain, who was claimed off waivers Sept. 1 but was inactive all four games.